Well, this says a lot about you and your car choices. Not even sure why you would consider a Mercedes if a Kia Soul fits your taste.

 

A bit harsh, if you ask me. My 2016 W212 sits in the garage next to a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. My wife's needs for a car focus more on utility than on making a "statement," whatever that means. The Hyundai has a much bigger trunk, too.

Here in Texas, I am overwhelmed on the roads with 3-4 ton SUVs, including several MB versions. I would never buy a vehicle that is built with more resources than 2 cars and can't be parked in a normal garage. But that's just me... I don't berate others for their choices.

 

This comment says a lot about you and your condescending attitude. I am not "considering" a Mercedes - the W212 was my fifth Mercedes and I doubt it will be the last. I've also owned cars from Acura, Lexus, Infiniti, Porsche and BMW (and also Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Hyundai and Kia) - and what I've learned is that all of them make cars that are good and also cars that are not. Mercedes makes more than their fair share of crap - expected, I suppose, with the number of models they produce.

I like different cars for different reasons. I have been fortunate to be able to afford to purchase (this Volvo is my first lease) all of these different cars over the years. That I like a Soul says nothing about me that you would have any clue about.

 

I love the SOUL Commercials with the rats or mice....

Today pretty much all cars have the same safety and technology... hard to find something different.

Heck Jeep brought back the WAGONEER but @ at $90-100K I will not be lining up for it.

Vehicles are just tools to get you from Point A to Point B.
COSTS, Comfort, features and Emotions all come to play on what you drive

I like to think of them as CORDLESS power tools.
Everyone has their favorite for whatever reason.
You can also like more then 1.

 

Lil - bill me for the hour spent on the following suggestion.

Before you sign off on the KIA (which is a great car by the way, my dad had one a few years ago and to this day still says it’s about the only car he really misses, but at that time it only had 4 gears and too buzzy for him, they’ve changed that) - just spend an hour taking a 4 door VW GTI for a test drive. The DSG is the best transmission I have ever owned hands down. Flawless shifts, and makes the car capable of being an automatic or a really engaging manual without the need for the clutch. And for $500 you can have the engine software reversed from VW to what it really is - a baby porsche that you ca actually use as a family in all seasons. I’ve had 3 of them now, and my current 2015 is BY FAR the best one I’ve ever owned without a single problem. Has 65k on it now and had the engine software changed two years ago that unlocked the engine from 205 hp to nearly 320. It is the Swiss Army knife of vehicles. Cargo room of a little SUV, seating capability for 4 6 footers, cruises great down the highway and surprising quiet and smooth, and with a flick of the gear stick, becomes an absolute riot and shows who exactly reallly designed and set it up - Porsche (specifically the guy who was charged with the 911 GT3). Many call this current generation of the GTI as the 911 of the GTI heritage, and I absolutely agree. In fact, I have my W212 (now for 4 years) not because I wanted it specifically, but because I wanted to preserve my GTI’s mileage for as long as possible. I NEVER want to give it up, it’s just that much fun. I still get compliments all the time on it at gas stations and neighbors (mine is white with black leather - the “autobahn” model). I’ve never had a single problem with the car. I’ve had an 07 (MKV), a 2013 (MKVI) and this current version. Liked them all, but simply adore this current version. It’s one of those rare cars that comes along every so often where they really captured lightening in a bottle and don’t charge an arm and a leg to have it… just spend an hour of your life looking at one before you pull the trigger on the KIA. You might be surprised yourself…

 

Well, my Mom loves her Korean Mercedes {Genesis G90] I do too. Korea is catching up to Japan, but not quite there yet. I have also driven many cars, but always had a Benz since my first 190 E 2.6 in 1991. I just feel safe in them, think they ride well on long trips and enjoy the way they drive. In the locations I frequent, they don't stand out in the sea of BMW's, Porches, Bentley's, Audi's and Lexus's, I spent some months looking for a replacement for my '13 with 80K now, I ended up deciding to keep it because I couldn't find an adequate replacement. I dislike the 213 a lot, so for now I will await the 214 and if that's a disappointment, I will keep searching some more! I love cars, just wish I could find one I would buy.

 

When very few will see your power tools, the car you drive makes the statement.
For years I've been using Mercedes for house service calls. I work on millions dollars houses, but it still made the statement.
Most of competition would drive beaten-up pickup.

 

When I get in my daughter's 2015 Honda Fit and take it somewhere I am always amazed at how much I really like smaller and nimble cars. I have several friends with KIA Souls. Great car.

 

And that’s why I bought the S550…

…not really….

It is funny how your thinking about the car changes. Before I had the S550 I always though it would be so special to have one whenever I saw one so it always made a statement to me. Now that I have owned one for about a year now I don’t think anything about it. It’s just a car with a lot better seat than what the E550 has and drives smoother in comfort mode (weight) but it does not make me feel any special to drive it.

 

Lil B... My daughter had a KIA Soul for 3 years. She absolutely adored that car... until she totalled it (her fault).

She drives my old C320 today, and still misses the Soul.

Buy what pleases you.

 

Driving C I would miss other cars too
Now talking that driving S does not make you feel special makes me pulling my handy gauge.

 

But the reverse is true to...

IF I see you coming I see wow look at his overhead he is going to charge a fortune...

Or When I want to hire someone to say put up new gutters I keep the garage closed and let them see the 20 year old chevy pickup...
If they see the MB for some reason they seem to charge more.

 

as someone who has been renovating a fixer-upper for the last 5 years, that happens to be in a gated country club community (I got a heck of a deal on it) - I agree here. You show up to my $1m house in a nice Benz to quote a job, and I’m going to notice and can assure you that I’ll be having others quote it too just to make sure you’re not pricing me MB prices. Not saying hard work doesn’t deserve it’s rewards, but sometimes you want to keep those rewards out of view to some folks.

I don’t have the S class because I don’t want the attention. I don’t want the C class because it’s too small for me. I have the E class because it’s nice, yet not too flashy. It stands out, without standing out, which is exactly where I want to be. But if I’m going somewhere that I don’t want to stand out like that, then it’s the VW, which also stands out but doesn’t say I have something you probably can’t afford. It stands out because it’s cool, fun, and nearly every 40-something year old like my self probably got laid once in a VW way back when, and therefore is a great little midlife crisis car without the need for a hair piece or annoying inflatable passenger…

We live in an area where we have a lot of fancy cars. Many 911’s, a couple lambo’s, a mclaran, MB / BMW / Audi everywhere. It’s funny how I can tell who is comfortable with it and who isn’t. Have one neighbor with a new 911 convertible (just friggin stunning). Yet to see either one of them drive it, it’s like they’re trying to hide. For me to have an S class, would be like that.

Our 2020 GLS is flashy with its 21” wheels. We feel like that sometimes too. But when asked about it, it’s actually cheaper or right on par with many of the others family buggies roaming around here in Lincoln / Suburban land.

Last one - had a twerp pull up next to me a few years ago in a shiny Porsche Boxster near my office in Tysons Corner VA. I think he was a salesman for the dealership nearby. Was in the VW, had windows down, and he said “cute car, but get a real Porsche.” I told him “my D’ is too big to fit in one of those.” That’s when I knew, a GTI is the right fun car toy for me and will never go much above that. If a genuine Porsche guy has to spend the time to make a stupid comment like that, then I’m on the right side of the pecker wood.

 

Now I understand better why those customers living in million dollar houses dress worse than homeless.

 

Interesting... Why would you even care how the "others" look at you? Do you feel guilty for being able to afford higher end material possessions?

 

Its pretty common, for most to get multiple quotes... regardless. For me, besides past experience or personal referrals... I prefer when contractors have neat/clean vehicles and equipment. I know plenty who are good in their trades, but the vehicles are a mess. Then again, depends on the trades. A finish carpenter I expect to have a cleaner setup, than say a mason.

I swear, a friend of ours spends more time looking for sh*t in his truck than working. Hard worker and great guy, but could use some organization and clean his truck up.

 

I couldn’t care less what folks think about me, make no mistake. But I’m not in that crowd of wanting to be defined by the things I have, but rather the things I do, which ironically has allowed me to have some pretty nice things. But if my car impresses you about me, then we’re likely not going to know each other very well..

 

When I don't care much what others can think about me, I do like to have my MB in clean and shiny condition. It just make ME feeling good.
Even having flatbed pickups for my business, I kept them clean and paint scratches touched-up.
Common joke I made for fellow painting contractors >>> "You should not paint your car with latex"

 

I have a billionaire acquaintance who goes to the airport in a limo wearing heavily worn jeans and a well used shirt.

I do the same... but I'm no billionaire, LOL

 

Perfectly stated.

 

What do you charge?

I handle all things automotive for my parents - when they want a new car, they give me their requirements and the money, and I pick and purchase the cars. Back in 2016, my dad asked me to replace his aging 2009 Mercedes C300 6MT with something new. He said he wanted it to be a manual and he wanted it to be German, if possible. But he didn't want to spend a great deal of money. I ended up buying him a brand new 2016 GTI SE w/HID and with the Fender audio system. IIRC, those were optional on the SE at the time. I drove the car frequently for him to service visits out of town and even used it on trips at times where I needed a hatch but didn't have one. He kept it 4 years and put 40,000 miles on it, but it was far from trouble free. It had AC failure at about 3,000 miles, and needed wheel bearings by 30,000. I didn't like the seats at all and it always felt a little too powerful for the front wheels. In 2020 he asked me to replace it with something RWD, Japanese, and also manual - I put him in a Miata RF. A month ago, he asked me to put him in something more comfortable, usable, and also still manual and I've now put him in a 2021 Forte GT 6MT (like we have). Oddly we sold the Miata RF for more than it cost new in 2020.

Story time over - all that to say that I did find the GTI to be engaging and fun, I disliked the seats, and find 200tq to be about my limit on what I can stand in FWD (and the GTI as you know has 258).


My family is known for some odd car switch-ups. I replaced our Porsche with a Forte back in February, and in 2017 my mother had me replace her 2015 BMW M235i coupe with a new Hyundai Elantra - which she still has to this day and says she is never getting rid of.

 

Ha! Not pay me, but send me YOUR bill for the hour of your time looking at one. But I see you've already had one in the past and it did not work out. That's ok, different strokes for different folks! If we all liked the same thing, then we'd all be driving a Corolla....

 

This post would suggest otherwise

 

Shots fired.

Personally, my goal is to start spending less and seeing cars as a transportation device.

 

Can totally relate. I hope some day to be able to achieve that mindset.